Cook Strait | Maritime Passage, South Island, North Island | Britannica (original) (raw)

Cook Strait, strait separating the North and South islands of New Zealand, extending northwest to southeast from the Tasman Sea to the south Pacific Ocean. About 14 miles (23 km) wide at its narrowest point, it averages 420 feet (128 m) in depth. Both shores are lined with steep cliffs, and that of the South Island is deeply embayed. Treacherous currents and fierce storms present serious hazards to navigation, and travel from Wellington (North Island) to Blenheim (South Island) is chiefly by rail ferry and air. Communications and electric-power cables follow the strait’s floor.

In 1642 the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman entered the western end of the strait and believed it to be a bay. Captain James Cook discovered its true nature as a strait in 1770.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.